Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Air Fryer Fried Chicken delivers 38g protein and 448 calories per serving across 10 batches, making it the highest-yield prep in this collection. Quick-preps on the stovetop, so you can produce 380g total protein in one session for structured meal prep. Built for efficiency: one cook session covers 2–3 days of lunches or dinners.
Ingredients
- •Chicken Breast, Boneless Skinless(1361g)
- •Paprika, Smoked(10g)
- •1/2 tsp black pepper ($0.08)
- •Garlic powder(10g)
- •Onion powder(10g)
- •Oregano, Dried(10g)
- •Cayenne Pepper, Ground(5g)
- •1 Tbsp salt ($0.09)
- •Buttermilk, Cultured, Low-Fat(240g)
- •Egg, Whole, Large(50g)
- •Flour, All-Purpose, White(480g)
- •Cornstarch(60g)
- •Baking powder(10g)
- •1 tsp salt ($0.03)
- •Onion powder(3g)
- •Garlic powder(3g)
- •Cooking spray (per 1-second spray)(57g)
Non-stick spray (PAM or store brand). Saves calories vs. pouring oil.
Instructions
- 1Mix the buttermilk, eggs, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and stir until fully coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours.
- 2In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- 3Remove each chicken breast from the buttermilk mixture, shake off excess liquid, and dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture until fully coated. Set on a plate.
- 4Spray a large skillet generously with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes until shimmering. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, carefully place the chicken in the skillet in a single layer. Spray the top of each piece with cooking spray.
- 5Cook for 6–8 minutes over medium-high heat until the bottom is golden brown and crispy, checking one piece at 6 minutes.
- 6Flip the chicken carefully to preserve the crust. Spray the second side with cooking spray and cook for 8–10 minutes over medium-high heat until the internal temperature reaches 165°F when measured in the thickest part without touching bone and the exterior is golden brown and crispy.
- 7Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean cutting board and let rest for 2–3 minutes. Divide evenly into 10 airtight containers while still warm, then cool completely before sealing and refrigerating.
Nutrition — Per Serving
448
calories
38g
protein
11g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 47g
- Saturated fat
- 2.1g
- Sodium
- 177 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 2.6g
10 servings per batch · ~231g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
AI Swap Engine
Swap any ingredient and get recalculated macros instantly.
Set your goal to unlock — free, 30 secondsCommon questions
How much protein does Air Fryer Fried Chicken have per serving?
Each serving delivers 38g of protein and 448 calories with 11g fat and 47g carbs. This macro profile makes it a solid mid-range protein option for daily meal prep.
How long does Air Fryer Fried Chicken take to prep and how many servings?
Quick prep time with 10 servings per batch means you're efficiently covering most of a week's worth of dinners or lunch proteins in one cooking session. That scales to roughly 4.5g of active time per meal.
Is Air Fryer Fried Chicken good for muscle gain?
At 38g protein per serving, this recipe is better suited as a supporting protein rather than your primary muscle-building meal. Pair it with another high-protein option to hit 60g+ protein targets in a single sitting.
More like this
Slow Cooker Beef Pasta
Slow Cooker · 10 servings
